Minor Characters
Seven
Seven is the bartender at a gay bar that Julia frequents during her rough patches with Campbell. Seven himself is straight and often commiserates with Julia about the difficulty of love.
Caesar
Caesar is one of Brian’s colleagues. He is constantly falling for different women and writes love letters to them, causing Brian to give him love advice.
Red
Red is one of Brian’s colleagues. He often cooks for the team and is described by Brian as a “confirmed bachelor.” When Campbell and Anna get in their car crash, Red uses the Jaws of Life in an attempt to get them out.
Peter Bergen
Dr. Bergen is the head of the board of ethics at Kate’s hospital. He testifies in court to confirm that the board never convened to discuss the ethical ramifications of Anna’s donations to Kate, as they did not consider Anna a patient despite her multiple hospital intakes.
Hercules
Kate’s pet fish whom she is very attached to. Hercules almost dies twice but is saved each time by Sara.
Campbell’s Father
Campbell’s father does not appear in the narrative present, but is shown in flashbacks to be extremely harsh and critical of Campbell in his adolescence. It is suggested that Campbell is emotionally closed off about his epilepsy due to his father’s criticisms of him as weak.
Campbell’s Mother
Campbell’s mother is a rather emotional woman who frequently calls Campbell to accuse Campbell’s father of dating various woman. She often threatens to institutionalize herself, a threat that Campbell does not take very seriously.
Vern Stackhouse
Vern is the town sheriff. He has a good relationship with the Fitzgeralds, which puts him in an awkward position when he has to serve Sara the papers for Anna’s lawsuit. He calls down his journalist sister for the trial after Campbell manipulates him into doing so.
Kyle McFee
Kyle is Anna’s crush whom she often daydreams about throughout the novel. The two go on a movie date together, but it ends awkwardly when Anna realizes Kyle has an erection.
Eldie Briggs
Eldie is an old woman who lives in a nursing home. She falls after having a stroke, resulting in Brian’s team getting called out. Anna comes along with them and provides Eldie comfort as she’s transported to the hospital.
Dr. Orestes
A doctor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. Sara calls him to seek veterinary help for Kate’s pet fish Hercules, who is lethargic. Dr. Orestes suggests giving the fish bottled water instead of tap, which saves the fish.
Judge Newbell
Judge Newbell has his yellow Hummer stolen by Jesse.
Bruce
Bruce is the prosecutor for the case when Jesse steals Judge Newbell’s car. He has a murder case he wants to get back to, making him amenable to Campbell’s plea bargain for Jesse.
Donna
Donna is one of Kate’s oncology nurses. She provides Sara with emotional support one night at the hospital.
“The Rat”
The Rat is a homeless man who lives in a shed full of newspapers. Jesse sets his shed on fire, not realizing that anyone lives inside, then rushes in to rescue him when Duracell Dan tells him the shed is the Rat’s home.
Nadya
Nadya is an interviewer for the local news. She interviews Sara and Brian about their decision to conceive Anna, subtly accusing them of making a “designer baby.”
Dr. Wayne
Dr. Wayne is Kate’s childhood pediatrician. She refers the Fitzgeralds to Ileane Farquad, a hematologist and oncologist, after two-year-old Kate’s lab results point towards leukemia.
Ileane Farquad
Ileane Farquad is a hematologist and oncologist who first diagnoses Kate with APL.
Jimmy Stredboe
One of Anna’s classmates who was bullied until he developed multiple sclerosis, after which point everyone started being nice to him.
Pawn Shop Owner
A shop owner to whom Anna sells her locket, a gift from Brian, in order to raise money for her lawsuit.
Luisa
A young girl whom Brian rescues from a house fire.
Mrs. Zegna
A woman who lost all of her clothes after her house burned down and now has to wear an octopus costume. She did not have home insurance and thus has lost all of her belongings and most of her assets.